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  • From: KAKerby AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] shopping for new markets
  • Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 13:22:36 -0400 (EDT)

I'm glad she likes their local market, but Langley wasn't even on the list of potential markets for us.  It's easily 2 hrs one way once I toss in the sit-and-wait-at-the-ferry-terminal delay, and the ferry crossing itself.  Plus those ferries aren't free; that would be another cost to figure on top of fuel and other vehicle costs.  I could actually attend a lot of the Seattle metro markets for less time/money, and a lot of those markets see a much higher average sales volume than Langley.
 
But I guess that begs the related question - how far away is too far?  Is it simply a matter of time/money spent getting to and from, versus money earned while there?  I've heard larger vendors say things like "if I am unlikely to hit $1,000 in sales, it's not worth my time".  But I have had only one day at market go over the $1000 mark and that was a special once/year event.  Hard to know how far is too far, and if I'm being practical or stingy in my willingness to travel to farther-away markets.  Any rules of thumb out there for estimating the "worth it" factor for farther-away markets?
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA
 
In a message dated 8/2/2011 10:09:28 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, SaladG AT aol.com writes:
My wife has a cousin that lives at Langley on Whidbey Island, which by ferry wouldn't be a long way's away. JoAnn is always about their local market.  You might check it out, I have never attended,but this is a high end neighborhood. 
 
 
Phil from Iowa
 
In a message dated 8/2/2011 12:48:39 A.M. Central Daylight Time, KAKerby AT aol.com writes:
I've been involved in three markets so far in my fledgling farm career.  One was marvelous but too far away, one was close but too small and populated by a whole lot of crafts and resellers.  One was experimental and shut down only half-way through its first season.  That one was run by an organization that has another market, same town but different day and location, which is actually one of our county's stronger markets (it might actually be the strongest).  While I was at the experimental market, I was invited to attend the bigger one as well.  We didn't have enough production at that point so I said thanks but no thanks.  With another market season well along and a few more lessons learned along the way, I'm starting to mull whether I should explore attending that larger market next year.  It's got some definite pro's and con's to consider, including a number of items from the "how to kill a market" list which circulated here not too long ago.  But it's also running strong and has been for a number of years now.  So how do you folks evaluate whether to attend any given market?  I sure don't want to make plans now for next year at that market, only to end up sending an email this time next year wailing "oh, GAWD, I was so dumb to think this would work!"  Wish I could find a market that combined all the ideal conditions, but this one might be the next best thing.  Suggestions for how to prove out the idea?
Kathryn Kerby
frogchorusfarm.com
Snohomish, WA


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